Railway-switch.



F. MIBNTPS. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3, 1913.

Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETPSHEET 1.

FRANK ms, 01? OIIIVEE, PENNSYI|VANIA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.- 10, 1914.

Application filed October s, 1913. Serial No. 793,216.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Mmivrus, a citizen of the United States, resi at Oliver, in the county of Fayette and tate of Pennsylvania, have invented newand useful Improvements in Railway-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im rovements in automatic railway switches an has articular ap limition to a switch of the c ass describe for use in mines. It is to be understood, however, that the invention in its use ful application is not limited to this articular purpose as the same may be emp oyed in conjunction with street railways and the like.

In carrying out the present invention,it is my p use to rovide a. railway switch wherein t e switc points may be thrown from one position to the other by the operator on thecar while the latter is in motion thereby eliminating the necessity of stop pin the car andsubsequently throwing the swi ch.

It is also my purpose to provide an automatic railway switch which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and durability, one which may be installed and maintained at a minimumexpense and one wherein the component parts will be so arran 'ed and correlated as to reduce the pos- 'bility of derangement or breakage to a minimum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the ,way, showing a see e of the claims.

the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through a trackcar thereon in elevation. Fig. 2 1s a top plan view of the trackw ay. Fig. 3 is an en arged cross sectional view therethrough. Fig. i is an enlarged perspective view ofcnc of the switch points removed from the track. Fi 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of t e car showing the operating devices carried thereby. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view 0 one of the operating devices removed from the car bod Riaf'erring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, 1, 1 designate the main hne rails, while 2, 2 indicate the rails ofthe siding or branch line, the pivoted switch points being shown at 3 and capable of movement to control traflic from the main line to the siding or branch line. These switch points are interconnected through the medium of a rod 4 for simultaneous movement and fastened to the confrontinosides of the switch points at the free ends thereof are shoes 5 having the innersurfaces convexed as at 6.

fIhe numeral 7 designates a bearing block suitably fastened to one of the ties and arranged between the rails of the mainline and formed with a recess 8 in the upper surface thereof. A switch throwing bar ,9 is pivoted between its ends upon a pivot bolt 10 passed through the recess 8 in the block 7 and is capable of swinging movement about the pivot bolt and has the opposite ends thereof rounded off as at 11 to engage the convexed faces 6 of the shoes 5, 5. Thus,

when the bar 9 is swung about the pivot bolt 10 in one-direction one end 11 thereof the switc points in one direction, while when the bar is swung in the o posite direc tion the opposite end therec will engage will enga e the adjacent shoe 5 to swing i the respective shoe and so throw the switch points in the reverse direction.

In order that the switch throwin bar 9 will be kept clear of the ground so that the same may swing freely about its axisythe under surface of the bar is formed with a recess 12 disposed above the recess 8 in the bearing block 7, while interposed between the opposite walls of such recesses 12 and 8 and encircling the ivot bolt 10 is a coiled expansion spring 13 aving one end bearing upon the lower wall of the recess 8 and the oppositeend in engagement with the top wall of the recess 12, such spring acting normally to hold the bar 9 elevated.

Arranged between the lines of rails and upon one side of the bar 9 is a stop block 14 suitably fastened to the tie, while arranged below the op osite ends of the bar 9 are shoes 15 adapts to be en aged by the under surface of the switch t rowing bar in the event of pressure being applied to the upper surface thereof so as to prevent mutilation of the pivot bolt and the bar.

In the present instance, the car carried mechanism for operating the switch throwing bar '9 whereby the switch points may be thrown to the desired position so that trafiicmay continue over the main line or pass from the main line onto the siding as the 7 to the lower surfaces of the car bolsters at the corners of the car and having the under surfaces thereof convened as at '17 and adapted toengage the convexed upper surfaces 18 of blocks 19 suitably fastened to the upper surface of the switch throwing bar 9 and disposed at the opposite sides of the pivot bolt.

The form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings is particularly adapted for use in coal mines and in practice the forward block 16 on one side of a loaded car approaching the switch contacts with the convened surface 18 of one of the blocks 19 on the switch throwing bar and so swings the latter in onevdirection to throw the switch points whereby the car will take the proper path. The forward block at the opposite sideof a following car contacts with the other block 19 and so throws the switch throwing bar 9 in the reverse direction so that the last-mentioned car proceeds along the trackway opposite that traversed by the first car. Thus, it will be seen that succeeding cars are switched in opposite directions automatically thereby eliminating the necessity of kicking the switch points.

I claim:

1. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch points, of shoes fastened to the free ends of said points on the inner sides thereof, a bar pivoted centrally and between said shoes, and means for swinging said bar whereby either end thereof may be brought into engagement with th adjacent shoe to throw the switch points to the desired position.

2. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch points, of shoes fastened to the free ends of said points on the inner sides thereof, a bar pivoted centrally and between said shoes, means for swinging said bar whereby either end thereof may be brought into engagement with the adjacent shoe to throw the switch points to the desired position, and means holding said bar elevated.

3. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch points, of shoes fastened to the free ends of said points on the inner sides thereof, a bar pivoted centrally and between said shoes, means for swinging said bar whereby either end thereof may be brought into engagement with the adjacent shoe to throw the switch points to the desired position, and a spring holding said bar elevated 4. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch points, of shoes fastened to the free ends of said points on the inner sides thereof, abar pivoted centrally and between said shoes, and blocks carried by the under surface of a car at the corners thereof'and adapted to engage said bar to swing the same whereby .either end thereof will be brought into engagement with the adjacent shoe to throw the switch points to the desired position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK MIENTUS. lVitncsses:

ANDY Mnnvno, SIGMUND SEMSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

